An Ally in Verb Form – ep. 16

Intersectionality • Empathy • Ally

Anthony Clark

show notes:

For Anthony Clark, helping others is just what you do. Anthony served in the military and became an educator through the Troops to Teachers program. He then created the Suburban Unity Alliance to support his community of Oak Park, Illinois and became a co-owner of Neighbors United LLC, a company that employs at-risk youth.

This would be more than enough for most people but not for Anthony. Raised with “the constant desire to want to do more,” Anthony doesn’t know the meaning of the word “enough” when it comes to fighting oppression. Therefore, Anthony had dedicated his life to fight racism, sexism, ableism, gay rights, poverty and other forms of oppression. He deeply believes that one must follow this life rule “all fights must be my fight” if they want to make the world a better place and help oppressed groups of people rise up.

In this episode, Anthony reflects on the gifts of his parents’ sacrifice, the experiences of running for U.S. Congress (which he plans to do again and you can support him here), and the risks that go along with trying to change the system. Anthony's motto is “one small step at a time.”

It was truly an honor to interview a man of such integrity and passion. I proudly campaigned for him and support his organizations. I believe that with more people like Anthony standing up in the worlds, there is hope for us yet.

Top Takeaways:

There is always someone out there who could use your help

To be an ally is to listen and support — not to lead

Society’s systemic problems can only be solved when we all work together

Discomfort and inconvenience are poor excuses for supporting oppression

Raised in Oak Park, Illinois, to a working-class family, Anthony Clark is a military veteran, high school special education teacher and active community organizer. In the summer of 2016, Anthony founded the Suburban Unity Alliance, an organization dedicated to combating discrimination by raising awareness and bringing communities together based on common interests and community goals. He believes it’s time this country lives up to its promise of liberty and justice for all.

Anthony is here to work with you in the fight for Medicare for all, criminal justice reform, public education reform and responsible job creation. As your congressman representing Illinois’ 7th district, he will be your voice in Washington that insists healthcare is a human right and will work to fulfill your hope for a better future.

As Anthony's grandfather Choom often quoted from Muhammad Ali, “Service to others is the rent you pay for room here on earth.” and Anthony believes it's time to rent to own.

A local campaign canvas party for Anthony.

Anthony is always the first to march in any fight for justice and equality. He says “Your fight is my fight just as my fight must be yours.”